Greek Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European & Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried in Washington on Monday.
In the presence of U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Erika Olson, who is overseeing policy for Southern Europe and the Caucasus, Varvitsiotis and Donfried discussed Greece-US strategic collaboration, the security situation in Europe after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and energy issues.
Regarding Ukraine, the minister noted that Greece condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the very first moment it unfolded, and he proposed the implementation of sanctions by all NATO member states, including Turkey, which, he said, is still not participating in these sanctions.
“Sanctions will be credible and effective via a united front of partners and allies,” he stressed.
Concerning Greek-Turkish relations, Varvitsiotis pointed out that Greece remains open to a dialogue with Turkey, but Ankara -following the Sunday meeting of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan- must show, in practice, that it has abandoned its aggressive rhetoric and its revisionism, and that it respects International Law and Law of the Sea. [ANA-MPA]
